There are a variety of online games which aim to promote an understanding about social justice. In groups of 2-3, you will be allocated one game.
1st half hour
Play it for about 20 min and prepare a short review of it (ppt and email to BT):
- name & description
- aspect of social justice it addresses
- how well it does this
- what did you learn about the issue?
- you should include a few screenshots
2nd half hour
3rd half hour
- based on reviews, you may play one or more of these games only!!
The Games / Simulations
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/spent/
Live the life of someone without much money – how to spend limited money, too poor for doctor etc. Location: USA
Poverty in wealthy country: pretty good representation of issues
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/sweatshop/
‘Sick game’ where you hire adults or kids (cheaper) to work in a sweatshop, to make products for minimum cost. Fail and the boss swears at you and fires you.
Child Labour / Sweatshop: pretty good – people get injured, crying children, poor working conditions
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/wildfire/
Didn’t work
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/3rd-world-farmer/
You are a farming family in 3rd world family: drought, illness, poor years, militia. Start with little money, control farming decisions, gives you an ‘annual report yearly’ – health of family – give them medicine. Deaths at young ages (40 or so for parents, kids at 10)
3rd world countries – pretty good
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/free-rice/
Play vocab game – definitions / synonyms – you get 10 grains of rice for every correct answer. World Food Programme (UN Agency) – so real people benefit from you playing games. Other languages are there too.
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/darfur-is-dying/
You are a kid who goes to collect water (about 4km each way) while avoiding militia / soldiers.
Shows poverty, conflict, access to drinking water
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/ayiti-the-cost-of-life/
Role play as a family below the poverty line in Haiti – how to survive by working, paying bills etc. Pick a life path and follow it through.
Showed how hard it is to earn money and keep family healthy. Badly affected by things we wouldn’t expect etc.
http://ncase.me/polygons/
‘The parable of the polygons’: segregation in society
Or the menu is here – choose one from the categories of:
Poverty
Human Rights